Best of Memphis?
The Memphis Flyer's Best of Memphis 2004 edition came out yesterday and, once again, Memphis Tobacco Bowl didn't make the list for Best Smokeshop. What did make the list, at a healthy no. 3, is Wizard's. For those of you who may be reading this from someplace other than midtown Memphis, Wizard's is a head shop. And while it may indeed be the best head shop in Memphis, it is not a traditional smokeshop, which, in my opinion, is an establishment for the distribution of fine cigars, pipes and pipe tobaccos. Be sure that I have no qualms with the other finishers on the list - fine establishments, I'm sure - and they are, indeed, smokeshops (you'll have to pick up your own copy to find out who they are).
I move for the immediate branching off of a Best Headshop category from the Best Smokeshop category and have considered writing a letter to the Flyer's editors, but decided against it because it seems that I just don't care enough. Because, when you get down to it, inclusion on their Best Of list is a dubious honor at best. What kind of stock can you place in a 'competition' that has, among its winners, Starbuck's, Perkins and The Olive Garden placed in their respective categories?
Posted by Richard Alley at 10:23 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Opus X
Big, Juicy Opus X Shipment
Posted by Richard Alley at 01:47 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Back in the Game
It's so nice when you can combine a passion for cigars with the generosity of man.
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/ap/20040927/ap_on_fe_st/cigar_man
Posted by Richard Alley at 10:19 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
HUMIDOR SALE
Until the end of September, for the next four days only (Mon., Sept. 27 - Sat., Sept.30), I'm offering the Escort by Craftsman's Bench Deluxe Humidors, for only $39.95. This humidor is normally $89.95 and I only have three left, so hurry.
This elegant travel humidor is perfect to throw in your suitcase for a long weekend, but will work just as well sitting on your desk. Leather bound and Spanish cedar lined on the inside, it measures 9"x8" and only 2" tall. As you can see from the photo below, it holds perfectly 8 Arturo Fuente Royal Salute maduro cigars (50x7.5). Cigars do not come with the humidor, but the humidifying device does. This sale is good through Saturday only! Next Monday, this humidor is $89.95. Hurry in!
Please see Archives for recent new arrivals!
Posted by Richard Alley at 09:50 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Memphis Mary
I just took delivery on a case of the new Memphis Mary bloody mary mix. This is a great new mixture that will give your bloody mary a Southern style smoky flavor. I've got it in the small 5 oz. size for only $3.99. What a great way to end your hectic day - a sultry bloody mary cocktail and your favorite cigar. This is the clever display I came up with: 
For more on Memphis Mary bloody mary mix, please visit http://www.memphismary.com.
Posted by Richard Alley at 03:47 PM | Comments (0)
What I'm up to
What I'm smoking: Reiner Gold Label pipe tobacco
What I'm reading: Florence of Arabia by Christopher Buckley
What I'm listening to: Kojak Variety re-issue & its bonus CD by Elvis Costello
What I'm watching: Dinner for Five: Season 1
Posted by Richard Alley at 04:51 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
Tabacalera Perdomo
The other day, Albert Argenti from Perdomo Cigars stopped by to pay a visit. Perdomo is a cigar I've never carried and, frankly, didn't know much about. I've had people ask for them from time to time and I've seen them in the industry magazines, but I'd never had one. Al is a good guy. He's from Miami and took his time going over the Perdomo line with me and left me a big bunch of sample cigars which always endears me to a salesman.
I've been smoking the Perdomo Reserves - the Cameroon and new Champagne line they just came out with at the RTDA show in August. I like them. I found them to be mild- to medium-bodied, though their literature and press touts them as being more medium to full. Taste is subjective.
Tabacalera Perdomo, based in Miami with production in Esteli, Nicaragua, is a closely held, family run business which began making cigars three generations ago in Cuba. You won't find these cigars at discounters on the web or in catalogs, which is a big selling point for me. I'm thinking of adding this line to the humidor, though it will more than likely be at the beginning of next year, after the holidays. For the next couple of months I'll have the RTDA show specials rolling in and this will take up all the space I have on my shelves. But look for these and I'll let you know when they come in. For more on Perdomo cigars, visit http://www.perdomocigars.com.
Posted by Richard Alley at 10:34 AM | Comments (0)
CAO Italia, Paisanos
The CAO Italia has just arrived and I'm enjoying the Gondola (figurado 6 1/4x54) as I write this and wearing my new CAO Italia hat, which you receive free with purchase of any 5 CAO Italias, but more about that later. Seen below, there are three sizes, from left to right: Piazza, Gondola, Ciao. 
I find this smoke to be a really smooth, medium-bodied cigar. I usually prefer a full-bodied, but you'll get no complaints out of me. This is a good-looking cigar with a nice dark and oily wrapper and is burning very well. I probably should have let it sit in the humidor for a day or two after its trip over from Nashville, but I just couldn't help myself and am not rethinking that decision now. There's no mistaking it as the Italia, either, as the band is covered in the green, white and red of the Italian flag.
We have swag! As I said before, if you purchase any 5 of the Italias (mix and match sizes), you'll receive a FREE CAO Italia ballcap. I also have a few CAO Mx2 caps if you're interested in those - purchase any 5 CAO cigars (mix and match lines), I'll give you one of these. If you purchase 5 boxes of the new CAO Italia, then I'll give you an Italia humidor. This is a very colorful box, probably about a 100-125 count humidor, brass hinges, Spanish cedar lining, dividing tray. It's a very nice piece as seen below. 
The CAO cigars now on the humidor shelves: Italia, Brazilia, Criollo, Extreme (petite), Maduro (petite), Cameroon (petite) and the full line of flavored petite cigars.
Posted by Richard Alley at 03:30 PM | Comments (0)
Dinner For Five
I watched the first season of the Independent Film Channel show 'Dinner For Five' over the weekend. If you're not familiar with it, it's an actual dinner at an actual restaurant, hosted by writer-director-actor Jon Favreau. He has four guests from the entertainment industry and they all sit around and discuss movies, music, their industry, etc. Guests in the first season included Peter Berg, Vince Vaughn, Peter Falk, Illeana Douglas, Kevin James, Daryl Hannah and others. I found it to be very entertaining.
I found it refreshing, too, that after every dinner they light up with cigars. There's no big production or attention drawn to it, it's just the most natural thing to see. The cigar smoking really lends itself to the art of the conversation. Obviously there is editing done that splices bits and pieces of the dinner together to make a coherent show, but it is very free-flowing and the cigars only add to that and to the feeling of comraderie these five people who all work in the same business must feel.
I couldn't tell, though, what the cigars were. They always seemed to smoke the same cigars - one with a green band, but I could never get a good look at them. If anyone knows, could you let me know? You may need to E-mail me at richard@memphistobacco.com. I'm not sure that the Comments portion of this blog is working just yet.
http://www.dinnerforfive.com
Posted by Richard Alley at 08:52 AM | Comments (0)
CAO Criollo is back!
The Criollo has inexplicably been absent from the humidor for a while, but it's back. This immensely popular cigar, available in some of the prettiest boxes in the business, are quite the tasty treat. "This medium- to full-bodied cigar has a silky, Colorado-brown wrapper and a rich, pleasing aroma," according to CAO's website. I find the taste to be closer to the medium-bodied end of the taste spectrum with an earthy palate. That's right, I said 'earthy palate' and if you want to know what I mean by that then you'll just have to come try one! There are five sizes available and range from $4.50 to $7.
Posted by Richard Alley at 11:43 AM | Comments (0)
Welcome
Welcome to the weblog of Memphis Tobacco Bowl, Memphis and the Mid-South's oldest pipe and cigar shop. Since 1949, the Tobacco Bowl has been serving downtown Memphis, through the good times and the lean, and we're always happy to welcome new visitors.
Stop in when you're in the neighborhood and peruse our selections of cigars, pipes and tobaccos. We also carry some out-of-town newspapers and there are other additions coming soon. This blog will be updated periodically with new arrivals and a calendar of events. Photos of new products and friends who stop by as well as news in the tobacco industry will be added as well.
Until I hear from you or am able to put another blog entry out there for you, please have a great day and a great smoke.
Posted by Richard Alley at 10:41 AM | Comments (0)